Vladimir Putin was born in Leningrad on October 7, 1952.
He earned a law degree from Leningrad State University in 1975 and has a wife and two daughters.
He served in the KGB for 15 years, spending long tours in Germany and becoming fluent in German.
From 1990-1996 he was an aide to Leningrad city council chairman then St. Petersburg mayor Anatoly Sobchak.
Putin's nickname became "gray cardinal," meaning he wielded power behind the scenes.
Russian President Boris Yeltsin appointed Putin Kremlin corruption watchdog, then director of KGB's successor, then prime minister.
Putin is called reclusive, dour, colorless, enigmatic, socialist, intensely loyal to superiors, a shrewd bureaucratic operator, and a Cold Warrior not to be trusted with Russia's nukes.
In August 1999 Yeltsin announced he wanted Putin to succeed him as president because Putin would unite the country and consolidate reforms.
Putin had never held elective office but said he would run for president because he obeyed orders.
On December 31, 1999 Yeltsin resigned early and named Putin acting president.
In his election campaign, Putin promised to boost pensions and wages, improve education, and strengthen the military by emphasizing guns rather than nuclear bombs.
Putin was popular for his vigorous image, tough handling of the war in Chechnya, and promises to fight official corruption.
Putin moved cautiously after election.
Other than not replacing Defense Minister Sergeyev, and visiting Belarus, Britain and Ukraine to emphasize ties with former Soviet republics and the West, Putin gave no indication of his leadership direction.
